Blogger gets three-year prison sentence for posting article critical of secret services

Reporters Without Borders today condemned a three-year jail sentence against blogger Tariq Biassi (http://alzohaly.ektob.com/) for posting an article criticising the Syrian secret services in an article posted on an online forum. Biassi, aged 23, who has been held since 7 July 2007, was found guilty of “publishing false news” and “weakening national sentiment” under Articles 285 and 286 of the Syrian criminal code. The offending article referred to the advantages and disadvantages of the actions of the Syrian secret services. The authorities in Tartus, 120 kilometres north of the capital Damascus, arrested Biasi without telling him what charges he faced. He denied responsibility during questioning on 22 February, saying that the published remarks were not his and that he shared a telephone line with six other subscribers, including a cybercafé. The authorities identified Biassi by tracing the origin of the Internet connection. Telecommunications minister, Amr Salem on 25 July 2007, ordered owners of websites to keep personal details on authors of articles and columns. The country's two biggest access providers, Syria Telecommunication Establishment (STE) and Aloola, belong to the state. The worldwide press freedom organisation reminded Syria that the country's constitution however provides for “the right to freely express opinions through words, writing or any other method”. “This punishment is unjustifiable. It sanctions the publication of an article, of which it has not even been proved that Tariq Biassi was the author. We urge the Syrian justice system to reconsider its verdict”, the organisation said. Three cyber-dissidents are now behind bars in Syria for exercising their right to free expression online. Syrian government security agents on 6 May 2008 arrested writer and cyber-dissident Habib Saleh, who was already known to their services, but without giving any explanation. Writer and poet Firas Saad was sentenced to four years in prison on 9 April on the same charges as Tariq Biassi. Sign the petition to call for Tariq Biassi's release